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Alison Lundergan Grimes is trying to change the discussion in the U.S. Senate race, where she has been on the defensive because of President Barack Obama's recently proposed regulations for existing coal-fired power plants.

Instead, she's trying to change the subject to wages and criticizing McConnell for "suddenly" showing concern for the fact that salaries are not rising in America.

The attack comes on the day that McConnell introduced legislation that would allow work-from-home parents a tax deduction for home office space if they have a crib in their office.

"All is not well for working families in this country," McConnell said in a floor speech. McConnell accused Obama of playing politics while he said Republicans have worked for ideas to give people upward mobility and to promote a "shared responsibility for the weak."

Grimes wasn't having any part of that, putting out a statement ridiculing McConnell.

"Mitch McConnell has some nerve to suddenly show concern about low wages for workers after he voted against increasing Kentuckians' wages over 15 times," she said in a statement.

"The contrast between my opponent and me on strengthening the middle class could not be starker: I'm proud to have led the nation in calling to raise the minimum wage for all Kentuckians. The Commonwealth deserves a Senator who will look out for them in Washington -- not one who pretends to care about workers in speeches on the Senate floor, then scurries away to vote against the very pay raise that would lift wages for the hardworking men and women of the Commonwealth."

McConnell listed a number of Republican proposals that he said would help the middle class and that Democrats continue to block them. "Every one of these Republican ideas is meant to address some common concern of working families in our country but none of them ever get a vote because it wouldn't fit the storyline Washington Democrats are peddling," McConnell said.